Senate President Nick Scutari(D-Union) is preparing for a Senate vote on Atlantic Casinos’ indoor smoking ban, according to POLITICO. The New Jersey President is likely to present NJ S264 on the Senate floor for a full vote after next month’s General Election. Scutari is reported to have stated that he will sign the proposed constitutional amendment once he receives it.
Still, Governor Phil Murphy is ready to sign the proposal into legislation once it the Legislature passes it. Two state senates sponsored it, and 24 senators co-sponsored it out of the 40 legislators.
Therefore, the Upper Chamber has a high probability of passing it. Even so, the General Assembly has to vote on the legislation and pass another bill before it reaches Murphy’s desk.
The Upcoming Senate Vote
Three state senators disclosed in a media interview that Scutari informed the Senate that he would post the smoking bill for a full vote in its lame-duck session. It was first presented in 2006, and Scutari’s move will be a huge achievement for its sponsors and co-sponsors.
The bill passed the Senate in 2007, but none of the legislative chambers have ever given it a full floor vote. Anti-smoking proponents and casino employees have campaigned for it for over a decade. The Smoke-Free Air Act of 2006 allowed Atlantic City’s casino to allocate up to 25 percent of their gaming space for smoking players.
Senator Joe Vitale is one of its key supporters. The Senate Health, Human Services, and Senior Citizens Committee informed POLITICO that Scutari told him he would post the bill for a full vote this year.
Cynthia Hallett, CEO and President of Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights, responded to POLITICO’s report stating that they are anticipating the Senate’s vote on the indoor smoking ban bill, which they believe will protect Atlantic City casinos’ staff. She added that they are confident the Senate will pass it without any amendments that will put gaming employees’ health at risk.
The region’s casinos will join other gaming operators whose gaming floors are 100 percent smoke-free once the bill passes. Studies show that most of the new players want smoke-free establishments.
Who Is Supporting the Smoking Bill?
Almost 70 percent of New Jersey lawmakers are backing A2151 and S264. The regulations have 26 senator’s support, and 57 Assembly representatives are co-sponsoring them. Yet, the following organizations are supporting the bills:
- UFCW Local 152
- National Council on Problem Gambling
- American Cancer Society
- Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
- American Heart Association
- United Auto Workers
- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
The United Auto Workers union has 1,200 members who attended a Senate Health, Human Services, and Senior Citizens Committee session in February to support the anti-smoking initiative.
The Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects (CEASE) members, the Assembly Tourism, Gaming and the Arts Committee, and the Assembly Health Committee narrated the casino employees’ experience working on smoke-filled gaming floors.
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